James h



(No Model.)

J. H. WILSON. v AUTOMATIC FIRE EXTINGUISHER 0R SPRINKLER.

No. 485,519. Patented Nov. 1, 1892.

Wl'lLFlE UNITED STATES JAMES H. WILSON, OF LOWELL, MASSACHUSETTS,ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO ALONZO A. COBURN, 'OF SAME PLACE.

AUTOMATIC FIRE-EXTINGUIS HER OR SPRINKLER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 485,519, dated November1, 1892. Application filed September 21, 1891. Serial No. 406,307- (Nomodel.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JAMES H. WILSON, a citizen of the United States,residing at Lowell, in the county of Middlesex and Commonwealth ofMassachusetts, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement inAutomatic Fire- Extinguishers or Sprinklers, of which the following is aspecification.

My invention relates to automatic fire-extinguishers or sprinklers ofthat class which are set in operation by the heat of the surroundingatmosphere, and comprises the cornbinations and devices hereinafterdescribed and claimed.

Automatic fire extinguishers or millsprinklers, as they are sometimescalled, as heretofore constructed have usually depended for theiroperation on the opening of a valve by the pressure of water thereon,said valve being held closed by an easily-fusible connection adapted tobe melted by an excessive temperature in the atmosphere of the roomcontaining such sprinklers. The objections to such contrivances are thatthe valves are sometimes imperfectly closed before being secured by thefusible connection and allow the escape of water and that the valveswhen properly closed sometimes fail to open after the fusibleconnections are melted, owing to the valves being stuck to their seatsby rust or by matters contained in the water, or owing to the pipes ornozzles containing the valves being filled above the valves with rustand sediment.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a front elevation of a part ofa supply-pipe,a T, and my improved sprinkler, the lower part of thenozzle being in section to show the stopper and its retaining-ring, saidstopper and ring being also in section, the breaker or weight being heldout of contact with the stopper by a link; Fig. 2, a central verticalsection on the line 2 2 in Fig. 3 of my improved sprinkler, the stopperbeing represented as broken, the breaker or weight having fallen; Fig.3, a side elevation of the nozzle and part of the breaker and a verticalsection on the line 3 3 in Fig. 2 of the breaker and its fulcrum.

A is a supply-pipe, such as is commonly arranged below the ceilings offactories to carry water to the automatic extinguishers or sprinklers, anumber of such sprinklers being ar- PATENT OFFICE.

ranged on a line of supply-pipe and the sprinklers being arranged nearenough together to sprinkle every part of the room.

BisaTor T-shaped connection,which unites sections or lengths a a of thesupply-pipe A. To the outlet 6 of the T B is secured the nozzle C, saidnozzle being provided atits upper end with an external screw-thread c,which engages an internal screw-thread in the outletb in the usualmanner, or said nozzle may be secured to said T or to the supply-pipe Ain any wellknown manner, but when secured as above described is providedwith a manysided flange o to be grasped by a wrench to 6 assist inscrewing the nozzle to the T. The lower part of the nozzle 0 ispreferably bell shaped or downwardly-flaringand has a shoulder 0 againstwhich is placed a stopper or disk D of fragile material, as glass, saidstop- 0 per being retained in place by an externallythrcaded ring orwasher E, provided with holes 6 to receive a spanner 0r forked wrench toassist in turning said ringE to place. The stopper may be packed aroundits edges in 7 any usual manner and is preferably concavoconvex in formand arranged with the convex side up to enable said stopper to sustain agreat pressure from above and yet to be so thin as to be easily brokenby a blow from beneath.

The nozzle 0 is provided with a downwardly-extending arm a, cast orotherwise secured thereto and having an upwardlypointing horizontalknife-edge 0 which serves as a fulcru m for the breaker or Weight F. Thebreaker F is in the form of a lever provided with a notch j, whichserves as a bearing-surface to rest upon said knife-edge,said-notchbeing of such an angle as to allow the breaker or weight 0 F to turnfreely thereon. The outer arm f of said breaker is heavy enough to rockthe breaker with considerable force when raised into the position shownin Fig. 1 and let go and the other end of said breaker is preferablyprovided with one or more points f adapted to strike and shatter thestopper D when the weighted end of said breaker falls, said points beingarranged to strike at and near the center of said stopper. Below thepoints f is arranged a nearly-conical deflector f of a diameter largeenough to more than fill the bottom of the ring E, said deflector havingthree or more points f or upward projections castorotherwise formedthereon near its periphery and adapted to strike against the bottom ofsaid ring E when said deflector is forced into the nozzle to prevent thedeflector from entirely closing the opening-0t" said nozzle. The waterfrom the nozzle is di rected downward and outward on all sides by thedeflector. The weight Fisnormally held from pushing or striking againstthe stopper,

as in the position shown in Fig. 1, by a link or connection G,ot' amaterial fusibleat alow temperature or of a material adapted to bedestroyed by heat, which*engagesprojectionsa stopper of fragile materialnormally closing said nozzle,a breaker capable of rending said stopper,a fusible connection normally holding said breaker from acting on saidstopper, said breaker being provided with a conical deflector arrangedto enter said nozzle and larger than the outlet of said nozzle, andstops toprevent said deflector from entirely closing said nozzle, as andfor the purpose specified.

2. The combination of a nozzle or dischargepipe, a stopper of fragilematerial normally closing said nozzle, a breaker capable of rending saidstopper, a fusible connection normally-holding said breaker from actingon said stopper, said breaker being provided with a conical deflectorarrangedto enter said nozble and larger thamthe outlet of said nozzleand l l having. projections-- arranged to strike against the sides of"saidinozzle to prevent said deflector from entirely closing said nozzle,as

andfor the purpose specified.

In witness whereofl have signed thisspecification, in the presence oftwo attestingwitnesses, this-12tl1day ofSeptembeigA. D. 1891.

JAMES l-l. \VILSON.

Witnesses:

ALBERT M, 1 MOORE, LEROY T. RILEY.-

